New Neighborhood, New Notions

Apartment-hunting is such an adventure! I love winding up in neighborhoods I’ve never visited before, or re-visiting places that I had confined to a particularly small box, and discovering that there’s much more beyond my pre-conceived notions.

Chicago Neighborhoods Map at the Chicago History Museum

Being the somewhat stubborn and sometimes silly person that I am, I had envisioned myself in Ravenswood without actually spending much time there. My friend Liz’s place is so adorable (and huge!) and the times I’ve spent with her in Ravenswood, along with the scenery I viewed when driving through the area when I used to live in Uptown, had convinced me that it was the perfect place for me. Ravenswood is a charming, quiet neighborhood, and I had envisioned myself on a summer evening, writing by a window thrown open to a quiet, tree-lined street.

So, I was a bit shocked when I started viewing studios there. The first potential dwelling places were sorely disappointing, both dingy and small. I traveled the 40 minutes back home exhausted and wishing I hadn't wasted my time.

But I wasn't ready to give up on Ravenswood just yet, and headed back up that way again two days later. This commute took even longer, and when I got off in the “charming neighborhood,” I was a bit dismayed at how stark and industrial it was (I’d gotten off at the Damen Brown line stop this time). Even then I wasn’t throwing in the towel, though, because I was headed to a Victorian home with a top-floor studio. As you can imagine (if you know me), I saw this listing on Craigslist and my Victorianist heart skipped a beat. And when I arrived, my visions of Victorian bliss were quite met. The owner has her portion of the home fixed up beautifully, with period furnishings. It was ideal--complete with white picket fence. The studio above was large, updated, and overlooked a lovely yard.

Yet, as she showed me the place, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about how far from the heart of the city I’d be if I moved there. And when she told me how much the security deposit would be (ludicrous), I was actually relieved. If the price had been right, I’m not sure I would have been able to say no. Curling up with Dickens and a cup of tea in that apartment? It was undoubtedly very me.

At this point, I was prematurely starting to feel a little worried that I might not find a studio that would meet this ideal that I’d created in my mind. After all, it didn’t seem like Ravenswood was working out, and that was part of the ideal.

"Stop paying rent" and purchase a lot. Haha, I wish! Also from the Chicago History Museum.

Afterward, however, I spent a Tuesday evening in Lakeview. I’ll admit, I had stereotyped Lakeview. I had shoved the entire neighborhood into a box containing only Wrigley field and the surrounding bar scene. I envisioned insane parking during Cubs games, loud drunk people, and, well, that’s pretty much it. But then I checked it out after finding a couple of studios in my price range on Craigslist. Isaac, a managed properties agent, planned out about five places for us to view (actually, he had originally planned quite a few more, but those places are going like hotcakes).

I wasn’t impressed by the first studio, which was dingy, smaller than where I live now, and not enough cheaper to justify not living downtown. Isaac assured me that for my price range, in the neighborhood, I wouldn’t find much bigger. I hoped he was wrong. The studios in the second building were better, but I still wasn’t feeling it. I was looking for that feeling I’d gotten when I walked into the building where I live now (I knew in the pit of my stomach that this place was for me the second I walked in, and I’m going to miss it, sorely). Finally, we went to an apartment complex even closer to the lake. When we went up to the floor where my studio is located, I felt inexplicably excited as we walked down the hall (you should see how cute it is decorated). I figured that the goose bumps were a pretty good sign. We proceeded to the end of the hall, where I was ushered into a pretty large studio with six--yes six--closets. I was veritably giddy at the sight of all those closets, but I was hesitant. The place was kind of dingy, desperately needing new carpet and a paint job. I had trouble envisioning it with me in there. When I found out that the whole thing is being rehabbed and viewed a similar studio ready for move in, with beautiful new carpet, countertops, faucets, etc., I was nearly sold.

But I didn’t apply. I was torn. I hadn’t completely given up on Ravenswood. In particular, there was a beautiful studio advertised on Craigslist all April that I just kept seeing week after week. My emails had gone unanswered, until, finally, I had inquired again and received a response. I had been scheduled to see that studio the next day, and I was sure that it was going to be the place for me. So, I held off. Over the course of Tuesday evening, however, I decided I would at least apply for the place in Lakeview to take it off the market for a few days, and keep that option open. That way, if Ravenswood still didn’t work out, I would have a fall-back.

And, you guessed it, the beautiful Ravenswood studio wasn’t so beautiful; plus, the leasing agent barely gave me the time of day and I just felt like Ravenswood, as cute and quaint as some areas of it may be, was dead. If I were settling down with a family, I definitely could see living there. But now? No. It just wasn’t going to work.

And thus, I find myself two days away from signing my lease, after which, I will become an official Lakeview resident. My two most important needs are met—better parking (you cannot get worse than the Gold Coast) and close to the lake. And the six closets thing? Not a bad bonus.